I have no doubt that you will enjoy this evening s performance. Denis Cummins MSc President Dundalk Institute of Technology

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1 booklet01.indd 1 17/03/ :50:29

2 I wish to welcome Her Excellency President Mary McAleese and Dr Martin McAleese to Dundalk Institute of Technology for this evening s performance of The Gondoliers by the Department of Music and Creative Media. I am also delighted to welcome our distinguished guests including the Ambassador of Chile, HE Cecilia Mackenna, the Malaysian Ambassador HE Raja A. Nazrin, HE Oyvind Nordsletten, the Ambassador of Norway and representing HE the Ambassador of Germany, Mrs Clarissa Duvigneau. May I also welcome Minister Dermot Ahern TD and Mrs Maeve Ahern, Dr Rory O Hanlon TD and Mrs Theresa O Hanlon and Mr Dominic Bradley MLA and Mrs Mary McManus Bradley. Since its establishment in 2004 the Department of Music and Creative Media has added enormously to the cultural capital of the Institute and the North East Region in general. Dr Eibhlís Farrell has provided outstanding leadership to the Department assisted by Adèle Commins, Head of Music Programmes and Caroline O Sullivan, Head of Creative Media Programmes. The Institute is proud of the talents and achievements of Ceol Oirghialla. I have no doubt that you will enjoy this evening s performance. Denis Cummins MSc President Dundalk Institute of Technology I wish to extend to all of you a very warm welcome to this performance of The Gondoliers. It is a great credit to the music students and staff in Dundalk Institute of Technology that another prestigious public performance is being undertaken. Great oaks from little acorns grow and Ceol Oirghialla, has expanded rapidly from humble beginnings just a few years ago to its current, well renowned position in the Institute, the region and beyond. In that time, a full suite of programmes has been developed, ranging from an undergraduate honours degree in Applied Music to a suite of postgraduate offerings, incorporating a Masters in Music Technology as well as one of the most successful Masters and PhD research programmes in the Institute. An extensive network of partnerships have been developed, most notably as part of An Foras Feasa research consortium, encompassing NUI Maynooth, St Patrick s College, Drumcondra and Dublin City University. Barry Douglas and Camerata Ireland are regular visitors to DkIT and have given generously of their time and professional expertise to our music students. The staff have also built strong connections with the South Ulster Youth Orchestra and we are looking forward to welcoming them back in April. None of this would have been possible without a dedicated and expert team of staff and so many talented and gifted students. It has been a particular pleasure to see so many students studying music here from all four provinces of Ireland as well as a number of students from overseas, including Germany, Norway, Italy, Switzerland, Nigeria, China, Canada and the USA. Instrumental to all these developments has been the leadership and vision shown by Dr Eibhlís Farrell, Head of Department of Music & Creative Media and Adèle Commins, Head of Music Programmes. Music is part of the School of Informatics, Music and Creative Media, a multi-disciplinary school encompassing the artistic and the technical, where the diverse range of core disciplines are cherished and nourished and where we look for opportunities to blend these together to produce graduates with skills appropriate to the needs of tomorrow and in tune with the emerging global, creative economy. The entire School is greatly looking forward to its move to a new, permanent home in the refurbished PJ Carroll s Building in the next year or so. Ba mhaith liomsa comhghairdeas a dhéanamh le na mic léinn agus an foireann go léir, go háirithe Siubhán Ó Dubháin, Mary McCague agus Caitríona McEniry, as ucht an obair crua déanta, an t-am tugtha agus an díograis taispeánta don léiriú seo. Ar deireadh, tá súil agam go mbainfidh sibh sult as an tráthnóna amach romhainn. Dr Gerard Bob McKiernan, Ceannasaí na Scoile um Fhaisnéisíocht, Cheol agus Meáin Chruthaitheacha Head of School of Informatics, Music and Creative Media 2 booklet01.indd 2 17/03/ :50:32

3 Message from Her Excellency Mary McAleese Uachtarán na héireann It is a great pleasure to attend tonight s Gala performance of The Gondoliers, and to acknowledge the success of Ceol Oirghialla, which has given opportunities to many students of diverse musical and cultural backgrounds to come together under the direction of Dr Eibhlís Farrell, one of our country s most distinguished composers, and an academic of international repute and member of Aosdána. The very name Oirghialla defines musical scholarship in its finest form, with the songs and poetry of Mac Cuarta, Ó Doirnín, Art Bennett and Mac Cumhaigh echoing through the centuries and resonating in the creativity of the fine young singers and musicians whose talent we celebrate this evening. The wonderful DkIT traditional musicians who entertained us at Áras an Uachtaráin last year included Ó Doirnín s beautiful melody Úrchnoc Chéin mhic Cáinte which is so evocative of the mountains of Cooley and South Armagh and brings a lump to the throat of us northerners heading up the new motorway. It is then that I recall the giants on whose shoulders we stand. The breadth of creative genius which emanated from Oriel is truly staggering, from the playwright Paul Vincent Carroll to champion dancer Tomás Ó Faircheallaigh; the immortal Patrick Kavanagh who was born about 10 km from here in Inniskeen, and the great Abbey Theatre director, Dundalk-born Tomás MacAnna. More recently, local singer and author of the acclaimed work A Hidden Ulster, Dr Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin, supported by Foras na Gaeilge, served as Ceol Oirghialla s first Artist in Residence. The musical traditions of Oriel are many and varied. Composers Sir Hamilton Harty and Éamonn Ó Gallchobhair were also Dundalk men, born in Anne Street and Stapleton Place respectively. Pavarotti gave his first professional concert performance outside Italy here in Dundalk. I have no doubt that it is music which will fire the imagination and inspire creative enterprise in our young people as we strive, once again, to make Ireland a centre of innovation and learning, worthy of the legacy of the great visionaries of Oirghialla. Is cuí agus is cóir go mbeadh Roinn Cheol láidir in Institiúid Teicneolaíochta Dhún Dealgan agus is cuí agus is cóir go ndéanfadh an Roinn seo caomhnú agus forbairt ar oidhreacht an réigiúin agus ag an am céanna go mbeadh radharc forleathan idirnaísiúnta ag an Roinn. I láthair na huaire táim lán sásta go bhfuil na coinníollacha son dá gcomhlíonadh ag an Roinn agus molaim gach ráth ar an Institiúid agus an Roinn sa todhchaí. 3 booklet01.indd 3 17/03/ :50:35

4 A Message from John Sisk & Son Ltd. As we at Sisk s celebrate our 150 th anniversary it is a great pleasure for us to sponsor this exciting production of The Gondoliers by the students and staff of Ceol Oirghialla. The Scott Tallon Walker designed PJ Carroll s Building was the iconic industrial building of the 1960s and our great challenge is now in converting it to educational use for Dundalk Institute of Technology. Sisk s are delighted to be involved in working with the Institute particularly in fostering its artistic and cultural mission. It is important for engineers, technologists and scientists to be educated side by side with performing arts students giving an extra dimension to third-level education and also an appreciation of the artists role in society today. As an internationally renowned firm we are most impressed to see so many students from abroad participating in the music programme. Ireland s industrial development of the 1990s was pre-dated by a cultural renaissance which manifested itself in music, dance, literature and the visual arts which encouraged the national morale. In times of economic recession it is therefore very important to promote the applied arts and to nourish creativity and imagination, essential qualities for artists, engineers, technologists and scientists alike. Fadó, in Éirinn, bhí an tábhacht ag baint leis an bhfile is an gceoltóir i saol na ndaoine is an chlann. In am an éadóchais spreag na filí is na ceoltóirí na Gaeil tré an gcruachás. Tháinig an cultúr sin anuas chugainn tré na glúnta agus tá sé fós go doimhin sna cnámha ag na Gaeil. Anois, leis an eachnamaíocht ag cúlú agus easpa maoine ar fáil béifimíd ag braith i bhfad níos mó ar láidreacht an anama agus claonadh nádúrtha na ndaoine cuidiú le chéile tré meitheal a ghnothú. Is mór an bród ar John Sisk & Co. bheith páirteach san meitheal seo, urraíocht a chur ar fáil agus cuidiú le Institiúid Teicneolaíochta Dhún Dealgan The Gondoliers a léiriú. 4 booklet01.indd 4 17/03/ :50:38

5 Siubhán Ó Dubháin, was a founder member of Queen s University Opera Society, with whom she acted as MD, producer, choreographer, or designer, wherever the need arose. The Monteverdi operas Il Ballo delle Ingrate, Il Coronazione di Poppea and Il Ritorno d Ulisse, along with Blow s Venus and Adonis and Pergolesi s La Serva Padrona were among her early ventures. Her magnum opus was a complete reconstruction and realisation of Luigi Rossi s masterpiece L Orfeo of 1647, taken from the original manuscript in the Vatican Library. It was critically acclaimed when first staged in Belfast in 1976 and again in the Royal Hospital Kilmainham in In 1998 she was commissioned to write The Rose, a Nativity opera to mark the Millennium, which was performed in 30 Irish churches. In 1991 she found a new passion when she composed her first children s ceoldrama, An Lochnannach, and went on to write three more national award-winning works in the same genre, Samhradh na gcruitirí, An Iarlais and Mozart in Éirinn. Two of the works were subsequently performed in Monaco, Madrid, Edinburgh, and Malta. A founder member of DkIT s music school, Siubhán has produced Gay s The Beggar s Opera, Mozart s The Marriage of Figaro and her own work An Iarlais here in DkIT. A published historical novelist, her pen name is Kathleen O Farrell. Mary McCague studied piano with Dr John O Conor and violin with Rev Brendan McNally. Awarded a Scholarship from Trinity College, she went on to graduate with a First Class Honours degree in Music and Irish and also holds a Masters in Music Performance from the Royal Irish Academy of Music. A multiple first prize winner at the Dublin Feis Ceoil, Mary is in demand as a soloist, accompanist, chamber and orchestral musician and has worked with the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, the RTÉ Concert Orchestra and the Irish Chamber Orchestra. She has a keen interest in opera and music theatre and has worked with professional and amateur operatic and musical societies for many years. Mary joined the lecturing staff of DkIT in 2007 and is very proud of all the students involved in this production of The Gondoliers! Caitríona McEniry was born in Co. Donegal where she studied piano, flute and vocal training. She studied piano under Réamonn Keary at the Royal Irish Academy of Music from She won numerous competitions and scholarships at festivals nationally and gained diplomas in teaching and performance from RIAM. Having completed a first class honours music degree and Masters in Performance and Musicology from National University of Ireland Maynooth, Caitriona has taught piano in Newpark Music Centre, Blackrock, Dublin and lectured in St. Patrick s College, Drumcondra, Dublin. She currently lectures in classical performance and musicology in DkIT and conducts the department chamber orchestra. JJ Quinlan is an lecturer in Creative Media in DkIT. Before he joined DkIT, JJ worked as a creative director in Dublin, with a background in multimedia, for eleven years. Outside of work, his hobbies and interests include running, computer games, reading (History, Travel and Culture), art, music and socializing. He enjoys travel immensely and has journeyed to many parts of the world. Glenn Doyle comes from an Audio Visual background. He is a lecturer in Creative Media and he specialises in the delivery of Photography, Media Studies and Media Theory. Glenn s research interests currently include a theoretical and practical analysis of the future of street photography in society. Previous published works have included various studies on aspects of media in society as well as having photograghs exhibited both gallery s in Dublin and on-line. 5 booklet01.indd 5 17/03/ :50:41

6 Synopsis Act One: Neither long ago nor far away, in a town somewhere between Dundalk and Venice, known as Denis, young brothers,giuseppe and Marco Palmieri were pitched into the glamorous world of the tabloid celebrity when they won the life-changing Eurostar Competition as The Gondoliers. Our story begins some weeks later at Antonio s Café where predominantly female fans have gathered. The Gondoliers publicity agents have promised the ultimate reality TV show the stars will marry whichever girls they catch during a random blindfold test. While the lucky girls, local beauties Gianetta and Tessa, sign the pre-nuptial agreement, the losers console themselves with the prospect of invitations to a celebrity wedding, escorted by the exceptionally friendly local lads. As the wedding party leaves, four confused tourists arrive, the Duke and Duchess of Crowne-Plaza Toro, along with their daughter Casilda and their staff of one, Luiz. They have been badly hit by the recession and, following a series of dodgy investments, have been forced to flee their home in D4 in order to avoid a tribunal. They arrive at the holiday apartment of EU Interference Commissioner Donal Hambra, with whom the Duke and Duchess made an arrangement twenty years previously. When Casilda was a baby, Donal Hambra arranged that she be married by proxy to the son and heir of the King of Barataria, a tax free haven in the Cayman Islands. Following a military coup the child was rescued by Hambra and put into the care of an Irish singer songwriter to be raised along with his own little boy. Now that a fiscal settlement has been reached by the Social Partners, it is time to find the young prince, inform him of his birthright, hail him as king and introduce him to his estranged wife of twenty years, Casilda. Sadly, Casilda loves the lowly Luiz, but, mindful of her social responsibility, is willing to sacrifice her love for social position, immense wealth and membership of Dundalk Golf Club. All Hambra has to do is find out which of the deceased songwriter s sons is the exiled prince. By curious co-incidence, the lads in question are none other than newly engaged Marco and Giuseppe -- the Gondoliers! Hambra has a problem on his hands when he meets the two newlyweds... but decides not to disclose the complicated matrimonial arrangement until he has wrung the truth out of the prince s old nursemaid, who happens to be Luiz s mother, and the only remaining living person who will know which boy is which. The Gondoliers, both of them committed republicans, swallow their convictions at the prospect of the opportunity to redress social imbalance and make a packet. Leaving their tearful and somewhat puzzled wives, they head off to Barataria with the promise of sun, sea and... well... the other will have to wait, as there is a moratorium on female company for some unexplained reasons of protocol. There will be a 20 minute interval between the acts 6 booklet01.indd 6 17/03/ :50:44

7 Act Two: The Court of Barataria three months on. Highly influenced by Barack Obama, everyone is now deemed equal -- Ministers, TDs, back benchers are all as one under the rule of the noble Gondoliers. Their record sales and download fees boom with the global attention they and their music have received since becoming King. But the wives back at home are less than happy, and in a carefully choreographed appearance on the Late Late Show, and several glossy publications, reveal their loneliness and determination to win back their husbands. The Gondoliers, watching the interview, realise that Commissioner Hambra has not revealed the whole story. Mná na héireann, not to be undone by an old duffer with a shady past, break into the Palace in an airborne assault via Ryanair and the asylum seekers are reunited with their love-starved husbands. A glitzy party follows, to the shock of the recently arrived Hambra. He is even more horrified to find that the Gondoliers have been dabbling with the accepted social order and that he is now the equal of a lower-ranking civil servant, and that he must accept a 10% cut in his pension. With some malice, he informs the King(s) and their wives, that one of them is already married. They meet Casilda and her D4 family but it is clear that the social division is too wide to be breached and all parties seek a solution. When an ould wan shows up claiming to be Luiz s mother, the Prince s old nurse, all gather round to hear the truth. The wily crone reveals that the Baratarian heir is actually her own son... Luiz! Everyone seems happy enough to forego the obvious DNA test and to take her at her word, the various sets of lovers are reunited and the story concludes The Gondoliers premiered at the Savoy Theatre on 7 th December 1889 and it ran for 554 performances, closing on 20 th June The Gondoliers was the twelfth comic opera collaboration of fourteen operas between Gilbert and Sullivan. An 1890 advertisement for The Gondoliers 7 booklet01.indd 7 17/03/ :50:47

8 2nd year tenor David Lynn (Marco) is a member of the Rejoice Gospel Choir of Ballina in Mayo. He has been singing for over four years and has been playing piano since he was eight. David, who studies under Victoria Massey, played Basilio in The Marriage of Figaro. Dermot O Connor (Giuseppe) is a second year baritone and guitarist from Dundalk. His interests lie in the areas of classical and popular singing. He studies voice with David Stalling and Siubhán Ó Dubháin. Dermot is a committed composer and has recently become interested in the electroaccoustic medium. His band has received very favourable reviews on a Dundalk online music magazine. Soprano Suzanne McDonnell (Gianetta) is specialising in Contemporary Solo Performance under the direction of David Stalling having previously been taught by Deirdre Cooling Nolan. She has a background in musical theatre and has been in The Marriage of Figaro and An Iarlais in which she played the part of Bean Ruairí. Suzanne also plays flute and is in a traditional music group. Siobhan Murphy (Tessa) is a Year 3 student in DkIT, from Westmeath. She is an accomplished singer and pianist and played the role of Bealtaine in DkIT s production of the ceoldráma An Iarlais. She is studying with Victoria Massey. Year 2 student Ruairi Quinn (The Duke of Plazatoro)is a singer/songwriter from County Wicklow. He was a finalist in RTE s You re A Star. Ruairi wishes to pursue a full time career in music. He played the role of Dr Bartolo in The Marriage of Figaro John Boylan (Don Alhambra) from Skerries is a second year bass baritone, and alto saxophonist. John played the womanising Count Almaviva in The Marriage of Figaro, gaining cult status in the Department for his efforts. Claire Mc Manus (The Duchess of Plazatoro) is a 4 th year student from Mayo specialising in Contemporary Solo Performance. She also plays piano, guitar, bodhrán, violin, and traditional wooden flute. Claire holds a keen interest in contemporary composition, and performs many of her own pieces. She also enjoys arranging and composing for SATB choirs. Specialising in Jazz singing, her interests also lie in classical performance, having taken one of the leading roles in productions of Mozart s Marriage of Figaro, Gay s The Beggar s Opera and the ceoldráma, An Iarlais. Dublin girl Leann Guildea is playing the role of Casilda. Leann, who studies piano, has taken part in numerous musicals over the years and has had solo roles in DkIT s productions of An Iarlais and The Beggar s Opera. A final year student, she is currently specialising in Education. Baritone Conor Haughton (Luiz) is in 2 nd year and comes from Wicklow Town. He joined RTE Cór na nóg in 1998 with which he has travelled widely and has been involved in many broadcasts. He has also performed in Malta with Aisteóirí Óga from Rostrevor. He plays saxophone and guitar and sings with Free Beer. 8 booklet01.indd 8 17/03/ :50:50

9 Aaron Roche (Elvis/Inez) is a trend-setting 3 rd year from Tallaght, an experienced guitarist, who is now learning classical and flamenco. The Village, Radio City, Eamonn Dorans, The Vaults, The Sugar Club and Rupert Guinness Theatre are regular haunts for his band Hijinx. He has performed at the Board of Ireland Clubs and Societies All Ireland Awards and won Best New Club as one of the founding members of DkIT s Fencing Club. Music theatre involvement includes My Fair Lady, Fiddler on the Roof, Calamity Jane and Grease Alan Kavanagh (Francesco) is a second year student who sings, plays guitar, piano and violin. He appeared on RTE s You re a Star where he finished 5th. Alan is an award-winning young composer and song writer and has had one of his works recorded by the National Chamber Choir Níamh Kerr (Fiametta) is a 3 rd year soprano from Rostrevor Co. Down, specialising in Education who hopes to pursue a career in teaching. She has toured with Cór na nóg Caisleán Ruairí, in France, Spain, Malta and Monaco, and has appeared on television with them many times. Níamh also plays traditional fiddle. She played Dreolín in An Iarlais and the Countess in The Marriage of Figaro. Year 2 student Hannah Casey (Rosina) from Drogheda is a soprano and has taken part in many productions. She has played several lead roles with Drogheda Pantomime Society. Hannah, with the help of Dearbhail, is choreographing some of the scenes in tonight s performance. Fionán Stapleton (Georgio) is a second year student from Roscrea, Co.Tipperary. He plays the guitar and sings and is currently enjoying learning classical guitar and traditional whistle. 9 booklet01.indd 9 17/03/ :50:53

10 Libretto: Mary McCague (with apologies to W.S.Gilbert) The Gondoliers Music: Sir Arthur Sullivan Cast: In order of appearance Antonio Cafe owner Luke Bermingham Waiter David Eakin Fiametta Niamh Kerr Vittoria Dearbhail Downey Lucia Kiaya King Rosina Hannah Casey Francesco/Pat Alan Kavanagh Georgio Fionán Stapleton Hannibale Niall McGuigan Customer Zhang Ju Marco of The Gondoliers David Lynn Giuseppe of The Gondoliers Dermot O Connor Tessa Gianetta Suzanne McDonnell Siobhán Murphy The Duke of Crowne-Plaza Toro Ruairí Quinn The Duchess of Crowne-Plaza Toro Claire McManus Casilda their daughter Leanne Guildea Luiz their staff Conor Haughton EU Interference Commissioner Donal Hambra John Boylan Inez/Elvis Brian Heavies Aaron Roche Brendan M. Staunton Alan McCahey Stefano Uberti with Ciara Mc Entee, Ceri Browne, Laura Purfield, Donna McKenna, Fiona Feeley, Tamlyn Norris, Abigail McAneaney, Roisin Crumlish, Maeve O Donovan, Lucia Mangan, Niamh Willis, Karl Cosgrave, Kevin O Donnell, John Moore, David Gallagher, Stephen Murphy, Jimmy Brennan Children Ailbhe McKiernan, Lucy McManus, Meabh McManus, James Shields, Tadhg Ó Dubháin 10 Directed by Siubhán Ó Dubháin & Mary McCague booklet01.indd 10 17/03/ :50:56

11 DkIT Chamber Orchestra Directed by Caitríona McEniry 1 st violin 2 nd Violin Viola Joanna Shields Leader Peig McAufield leader Emma Kiernan Tai Davids Deputy Leader Tennyson Firth Rachel McGeehan Amanda Bracken Violoncello Niall Cloak Ciarán McManus Dervilla Hynes Gráinne Ní hír Dr Eibhlís Farrell Stephen Vernon Roseanna Schwarzacher Flute Oboe Maeve Cawley Sarah Burns Double Bass Brian Kennedy Ben Grimes Caoimhe Cassidy Clarinet Stefano Uberti Claire Wallace Patrick Connolly Martina Masterson Martin Finn Trumpet Harp Linda Jackson Tuba Helen Lyons Mark Nutley Percussion Cornet Saxophone Katarina Schmidt Stephen Murray Andrew Greally Christopher Kelly Aoife Crowley Choreography Set Wardrobe Lighting Stage Management Technical Director Props, makeup Box Office/Front of House Programme & poster design Photography Credits Paul McGettrick, Hannah Casey, Dearbhail Downey Carl Commins, Darren Commins, Kiaya King Eilish Mills, Eileen Donnelly, Elsie Haughton Tony Rice, Dean Maher Patrick Connolly Derek Farrell Helen Lyons, Andrea Hunger, Sean Bradley, Ann Coffey, Paul Campbell, Simon Byrne, Andrew Greally, Brendan Linnane JJ Quinlan Glenn Doyle Acknowledgements Denis Darcy and The Arts Office, Dundalk Town Council Campbell s Catering Mr Gerry Black & The Piano Studio, Castleblayney, Co. Monaghan Louth Timber Products Dún Dealgan Press An Garda Síochána Commins Builders Ltd. Henry McLoughlin and the DkIT Caretaking Ms Fiona Rooney and the DkIT Cleaning staff John Sisk & Son Ltd. 11 booklet01.indd 11 17/03/ :50:59

12 Kiaya King (Lucia) is a 20 year old music education student from Kiltimagh, Co.Mayo. She is a singer, plays guitar and has studied harp under Emer Kenny. Kiaya, who is a native Welsh speaker, one day hopes to travel the world in search of further musical enlightenment. Luke Bermingham, (Antonio) a native of Dublin, is best known for his skills in composition and live performance, and has sung with a number of choirs. His debut album Still, which was released in 2001, is mostly comprised of works by well-known songwriters of the late twentieth century. Over the last number of years, he has developed writing relationships with a number of composers internationally, the fruits of which were showcased at the Sugar Club, Dublin in Versatile soprano Dearbhail Downey (Vittoria) from Dublin has won awards at Wesley, Navan and Slighigh feiseanna and has studied classical singing at the RIA of Music. She performed in the Olympia theatre pantomime Cinders, in Lyric Opera s Oliver, Norma, L elexir d Amour and in Pirates of Penzance for the Buxton Gilbert and Sullivan Festival this summer. Year Two student Niall Mc Guigan (Hannibale), from Castleblayney Co.Monaghan, is a singer and guitar player with the celebrated rock band Speedking, which recently delighted a DkIT audience in concert. Niall is lead singer with the band, who have several television appearances on TG4 to their credit. First year baritone, David Eakin, from Drogheda has been a student at the Leinster School of Music for several years. He has studied voice with Emmanuel Lawler and Ann Fetherston. A former member of the Irish Boys Choir and the Dublin Boy singers, he has represented Ireland abroad. David is also a pianist, and plays rugby for DkIT. Alan McCahey is a 22 year old guitarist and singer from Monaghan specialising in Music Technology in his final year. He has performed and written music with several bands and also had leading roles in DkIT music theatre productions, including Ruairí in An Iarlais. He is currently writing and singing for the Dundalk Progressive Thrash Metal band Of One Blood, in sound technology including engineering, producing and programming. Dean Maher (Lighting) is a second year music student from Dublin. A guitarist and bassist he likes composing for string and wind instruments. He has performed with bands in Dublin city in The Sugar Club and Eamon Doran s, Temple Bar. Dean is also a popular D.J. Chinese tenor Zhang Ju was brought up in Qingdao. Ju, whose mother was both a vocalist and an author, has rejoined Ceol Oirghialla after a two year absence and has been warmly welcomed back by both faculty & students. Ju has won many awards both at the Feis Ceoil and at other festivals and is also a gifted composer. Ju is studying under the direction of Victoria Massey. 12 booklet01.indd 12 17/03/ :51:02

13 Ceol Oirghialla Traditional Music Ensemble Directed by Gerry O Connor Mary Argue, Gerald Black, Sara Jane Burns, Brian Casley, Maeve Cawley, Lucy Kavanagh, Michaela Cunningham, Brian Dunne, Andrew Grafton, Andrea Hunger, Cathal Johnson, Davina Hearty, Emma Kiernan, Helen Lyons, Trudy Maguire, Martin Óg McAllister, Peig McAufield, Keith McCann, Rachel McGeehan, Paul McGettrick, George Mercer, Seán Newberry, James Ryan, Ronan Morgan, Katharina Schmidt Ceol Oirghialla Brass Ensemble Directed by Stephen Murray, Year 4 Members of the Brass Ensemble pictured at Áras an Uachtaráin, Christmas 2008 with HE President McAleese & Dr McAleese Stephen Murray, Aoife Crowley, Linda Jackson, Dervilla Hynes, Mark Nutley The chorus of The Gondoliers includes talented students from near and far. They include Jimmy Brennan, a final year Jazz Guitar performance specialist, and his fellow Mayoman, Celsey McFadden. 2 nd year Ciara Mc Entee is a from a celebrated Monaghan family of traditional musicians; Fiona Feeley, also in year two is from Roscommon while classmate Tamlyn Norris is a committed composer from Drogheda. Among several first years in the cast are Karl Cosgrave from Swords, Abigail McEneaney from Greenore, Roisin Crumish from Donegal, Niamh Willis from Galway, Ceri Browne from Navan, Donna McKenna from Castletown, Meath, Lucia Mangan from Rathcairn, Baile Atha Buídhe and Brendan M. Staunton, from Co. Mayo. John Moore is a recently retired mature student from Meath, Kevin McDonnell is a drummer from Cavan and Laura Purfield and Stephen Murphy, are singer songwriters. Maeve O Donovan is a You re a Star winner from County Clare, and classical accordionist David Gallagher is from Meath. The Gondoliers Chorus 13 booklet01.indd 13 17/03/ :51:05

14 Music Theatre Productions at DkIT Pictured here are the cast of 2008 s production of The Marriage of Figaro Previous productions: 2006 The Beggar s Opera 2007 An Iarlais 2008 The Marriage of Figaro 2009 The Gondoliers The Orchestra Leading the DkIT Chamber Orchestra is Joanna Shields from County Armagh, assisted by Nigerian violinist Tai Davids, fellow final year student, Niall Cloak from Wicklow, third year Rachel McGeehan from London, and Dundalk girl Gráinne Ní Ír. Peig McCaulfield (Co. Down) leads the second violins, assisted by Dubliners Tennyson Firth and Amanda Bracken, with final year Ciarán McManus & Dr Eibhlís Farrell in support. Year four student Emma Kiernan holds the fort in the viola section while Dervilla Hynes (Mayo), and local Dundalk man Stephen Vernon are our cellists. Bassists are Stefano Uberti from Italy, and Monaghan man, Ben Grimes. In the woodwind section, flautists Maeve Cawley and Brian Kennedy are both from Mayo and our oboist Sarah Burns has recently graduated from DkIT with an MA on the works of composer Archie Potter. Patrick Connolly does his usual double act as clarinettist and stage manager, ably assisted by Martin Finn. The brass section is led by final year students Stephen Murray and Aoife Crowley from the All Ireland winning Drogheda Brass Band. They are joined by Linda Jackson of Dundalk. Third year tuba player Mark Nutley has recently returned from spending a semester with our sister college Stord/Haugesund University in Norway. Helen Lyons, DkIT s ethnomusicologist will be introducing our recently acquired concert harp. Finally, the busy percussionists are 1 st year students Katharina Schmidt of Germany and Christopher Kelly from Wexford. 14 booklet01.indd 14 17/03/ :51:08

15 Music & Creative Media Faculty Eibhlís Farrell BMus (Hons) (QUB), MMus (Bristol), PhD (Rutgers), LLCM, FRSA, Member of Aosdána Ceannasaí Roinn Ceoil agus Meáin Chruthaitheacha Head of Music and Creative Media Head of Music Programmes Adèle Commins BA (Hons) (NUIM), HDipEd (NUIM), ALCM, LGSMD(P) Music Faculty Deborah Armstrong BA Mod (TCD), MMus (UofA), GradDip (NEC), DMus (McGill), FTCL, LGSM Hons Mark Clarke BEng (DCU), MSc (London), DipEE (DkIT), CEng (IEI) Helen Lyons BMus Ed (TCD), MMus (UCD) Mary McCague BA (Hons), HDipEd, MSc (TCD), MMus (RIAM), LRIAM Patrick McCaul BSc (QUB) Caitríona McEniry BA (Hons), MA (NUIM), LRIAM, ARIAM Paul McGettrick BEd, BMus (Hons) (NUI), MSc (York) Hilary Mullaney BA (Hons) (NUIM), MA (DIT) Gerry O Connor MA (DkIT) Siubhán Ó Dubháin BMus (Hons) (QUB), MA (DkIT), PGCE (QUB), ALCM Paul Roe PhD (York) MA (UL), FTCL, LTCL** Ciarán Rosney BA (Hons) (WIT), MA (DIT), MMus (DIT) David Stalling BA (Hons) (NUIM), MA (NUIM) Fintan Vallely BSc (UCD), MA (QUB), PhD (UCD)* Rory Walsh BMus (Hons) (NUIM), HDip (NUIM), MA (NUIM) An Foras Feasa Post-Doctoral Fellow in Music Ian Wilson BA (Hons), DPhil (UU), Member of Aosdána *On sabbatical leave ** On career break Head of Creative Media Programmes Caroline O Sullivan BA (Hons) (UCD), MSc (DCU) Creative Media Faculty Glen Doyle BA (Hons) (ITT), MA (DIT) Bride Mallon BA (Hons) (NUIG), PGDIP (UCC), MSc (UU), PhD (QUB) Kieran Nolan BDes (Hons) (LYIT), MSc (UL) Fiachra Ó Cuinneagáin BDes (Hons) (NCAD), MSc (DCU) JJ Quinlan BDes (Hons) (CIT), MSc (UU) Kenneth Sloane BSc (Hons) DkIT, MSc (Leeds) Anya Stafford BA (Hons) (NUIG), MSc (TCD) Administrative and Support Staff Ms Ann Coffey, Mr Derek Farrell, Mr Michael Crawley, Mr Tommy O Hare, Ms Ann Corcoran Ms Mary McKenna, Ms Paula O Flaherty, Ms Joan Rogan, Ms Michelle Goss 15 booklet01.indd 15 17/03/ :51:11

16 Music Studies at DkIT Music studies in Ceol Oirghialla has a new and vibrant approach to the study of music and offers exciting and innovative programmes to both undergraduates and postgraduates. The Department is a proactive centre of teaching and learning, research and performance where we provide a distinctive and pioneering environment for advanced study, performance and research while recognising and engaging with the diversity of musics and technologies. Our BA (Hons) in Applied Music is a four-year degree programme which encompasses a blend of musicology, music technology, composition, ethnomusicology and performance, and which balances the practical with the theoretical. After being exposed to a rich and varied range of subjects in first and second year, third and fourth year students have the opportunity to specialise in one of the following areas: solo performance in either classical, contemporary, popular or traditional music, music education and community music, music technology, ethnomusicology or composition. While the programme is both challenging and enriching, performance is an important part of our degree programme, and students are given the opportunity to take part in various music ensembles including music theatre/ opera, guitar ensemble, brass ensemble, rock/pop and Irish traditional groups, and choir and orchestra. In addition, students are often requested to perform at a range of formal and informal events in the Institute and externally. Most notably our fourth year traditional group were invited to perform at the St Patrick s Day celebrations in Malta in 2008 by HE Dr Edward Fenech Adami. Our students have also been honoured by invitations from HE President McAleese to perform at Áras an Uachtaráin. Other recent performance venues have included Mantua, and Cambridge University at the invitation of the University Ireland Society. Regular concerts and masterclasses are given by professional musicians and those working in the music industry. Through our partnerships with our sister-universities in Norway, Germany, Italy and the UK, many of our students have taken the opportunity to spend a semester abroad, experiencing musical traditions in Germany and Norway. We look forward to welcoming students from Stord/Haugesund University for a joint performance in April. Our honours degree programme is also approved for entry into the Postgraduate Diploma in Education for second-level school teaching, an avenue taken by many of our recent graduates. In addition to this, our imaginative undergraduate programme has facilitated students to progress to a diverse range of careers including composition, performance, music technology, arts administration and business management. In addition to our undergraduate teaching, Ceol Oirghialla has a large community of postgraduate students enrolled on our MA by Research, MA in Music Technology, MSc in Music Technology and PhD programmes. The teaching on these courses is enhanced by the research expertise of our staff. Our research activities cover a comprehensive range of areas including practice based research, performance and conducting studies, composition, music technology, ethnomusicology, musicology and education and community music studies. Our future move to the refurbished PJ Carroll s Building will offer us additional possibilities to develop a range of programmes, both at undergraduate and postgraduate level. In addition, this will provide a rich musical and creative environment for research and performance. Music Theatre is one of the most popular activities, and the move to Carroll s will provide us with a fully equipped dance studio, enhancing the opportunities for dance choreography, creative movement and fitness activities. Our new programmes will offer training in a range of music specialisms, and will be attractive to both Irish and international students. Future programmes will include BA in Music Production, MA in Performance Studies and MA in Traditional Music. Adèle Commins Head of Music Programmes Ceannasaí Cláracha Ceoil 16 booklet01.indd 16 17/03/ :51:14

17 Creative Media Studies at DkIT Creative Media is an arts-based discipline, which embraces the aesthetic, communicative and interactive potential of creative multimedia. Creative Media Programmes at DkIT are offered at level 7: Bachelor of Arts in Communications in Creative Multimedia, at level 8: Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Communications in Creative Media and at level 9: Master of Science in Future Communications in Creative Technologies. All programmes encourage students to combine their creativity, communication and technical ability to develop their ideas into innovative design. Students are encouraged to develop their ideas both individually and in groups, working with other creative minds and in recent years with the help and support of the lecturing staff on the programmes they have been very successful in National (Digital Hub Best in Show 2007 and 2008) and European Competitions (Europrix Top Talent Award Quality Seal 2008). The completion of the refurbishment of the Carroll s Building in 2010 will facilitate exciting new collaboration opportunities with its sister programmes in Music, Film and Games. Caroline O Sullivan Head of Creative Media Programmes Ceannasaí Cláracha Meáin Chruthaitheacha BA (Hons) in Applied Music MA/MSc in Music Technology MA/MSc by Research PhD by Research Music and Creative Media Programmes Music Programmes Creative Media Programmes BA (Hons) in Communications in Creative Multimedia BA in Communications in Creative Multimedia PgDip/MSc in Future Communications in Creative Technologies For further information please contact ann.coffey@dkit.ie Dates for your diary: Concert with students from Stord/Haugesund University: 2nd April 2009 Concert with the South Ulster Youth Orchestra: 25th April 2009 For future events check out: 17 booklet01.indd 17 17/03/ :51:17

18 DkIT 18 booklet01.indd 18 17/03/ :51:20

19 Autographs 19 booklet01.indd 19 17/03/ :51:23

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